


Janus Knows Best

by the_nerdiest_insanity



Series: Disney Sides [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: (and only mentioned), (he's leaving them currently), (light sides), (mentioned) - Freeform, Alcohol, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Dark Side, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders-centric, Disney References, Disney Songs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Former Dark Side Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Morally Neutral Deceit | Janus Sanders, Post-Episode: Accepting Anxiety, Protective Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Unsympathetic Sides (Sanders Sides)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_nerdiest_insanity/pseuds/the_nerdiest_insanity
Summary: Virgil has been officially accepted as a light side. Now, however, he had to leave the dark side. Much easier said than done. Especially when a certain snakely side catches him and has a few words about this whole thing.(Formerly "Mother Knows Best")
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & The Dark Sides, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Disney Sides [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967242
Comments: 7
Kudos: 55





	1. Mother Knows Best

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. No spoilers, but THAT NEW EPISODE, THOUGH! It was soooo good and definitely got some creative juices flowing and got me working on a couple of different stories. 
> 
> 2.This story, has nothing to do with that and I made this like a week ago, I just had some trouble editing it.
> 
> This is just me listening to Disney songs to cheer myself up again and just coming up with this on accident. That being said, I'm actually really proud of it and really hope you like it.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~Spoilers~  
> CW/TW: alcohol mention (can be taken as inplied drunkenness), flinching, fight or flight, taunting/teasing, Deceit/Janus warning, shapeshifting, deception mention, tears/crying

He left in the middle of the night.

He didn’t think anyone else would be awake, and it wasn’t like he was sleeping anyway.

He was tiptoeing into the dark commons when he heard a noise from the kitchen. He immediately dropped his bag and turned, preparing for a fight.

The other side just rolled his eyes and set his empty wine glass down before walking around the counter in front of him.

“So, you’re finally leaving, Virgil?”

The anxious figment sighed and fiddled with his hoodie. He was wearing his old one to help blend into the shadows, but he had the purple patched one in his bags. He was eager to get it back on.

“Nothing to say for yourself? Not even one last snide remark about my clothes or Remus’s personality?”

Virge flinched. “Janus, look, I’m sorry, but--”

“If you’re sorry, then why are you doing it?” Janus responded coldly, staring the other down.

The anxious side shifted under the harsh gaze, unable to meet it. “It’s hard to explain.”

The snake scoffed.

“It’s just,” Virgil searched for the words, “Thomas is actually listening to me, so are the rest of them, and… I think they like me.”

“Like you? Please, Virgil, that's demented,” Janus responded, waving him off.

“But Janus, I--”

“This is why you never should have left,” The other plowed over his words. The yellow side took a few steps toward the hoodie clad figment.

“Dear, this whole acceptance that you've invented just proves you're too naive to be there.” He reached a hand out to brush Virgil’s bang’s back, but the shadowy side jerked away.

Hurt slightly, Janus lashed out. “Why would they like you? Come on now, really.” He motioned towards the other. “Look at you, you think that they’re impressed?”

Virge curled in on himself more.

“Don't be a dummy, stay with me.” The snakely side opened his arms, waiting for the other side to come in for an embrace. “Janus…”

“ ** _No!_** ” Virgil yelled back, accidentally using his tempest tongue. He instantly regretted it and covered his mouth with his hands, wanting to take back the word.

Janus looked at his fellow side, shocked and confused. “No?” he repeated. 

A second passed. “Oh,” he felt he understood, his lips curling in a sneer, “I see how it is.”

He looked the hoodied side over before turning into him, mocking him and galavanting around while ignoring the other. “Virgil knows best! Virgil’s so mature now! Such a clever grown-up Sir!”

He whipped back around towards his object of ridicule. Virgil flinched at the motion. Janus transformed back into his original appearance, and started moving directly in front of the other while continuing. “Virgil knows best! Fine, if you're so sure now, go ahead, tell him who you are!” He finished pointing in the dead center of the nervous side’s chest.

Virge took a few steps back, reeling. “I don’t--what--I mean--” he floundered.

But both of them knew exactly what the other side had been talking about. The anxious side still hadn’t told Thomas that he was a “dark side,” as Roman called them, or even that they existed.

The snake side smirked again, finding the side’s weak point. “He thinks you’re one of them!” he continued, “Why do you deceive him?”

“I-I don’t…” Virgil tried once more, but both of them clearly knew it was a lie. He started getting more scared. If the literal embodiment of _deceit_ was telling him that _he_ was being deceitful, then there was a huge problem.

But, before he could dwell for too long, Janus continued, “Tell the truth, watch, you'll see!”

“I will!” Virgil tried to sound confident but the shaking in his voice was very evident.

The yellow side laughed hollowly. “Trust me, my dear--” he snapped his fingers “--that's how fast he'll leave you! I won't say I told you so!”

Janus took a few steps back, practically in hysterics at this point. “No, Virgil knows best! So if it’s such a dream there, go and put them to the test!” He motioned up the stairs and towards the “light sides.”

He started to walk away, not wanting this conversation to continue.

“Janus, wait!” Virgil called, reaching out towards the fleeing side. He didn’t want to leave this way.

The snake whipped around, nothing but venom and pain in his watery eyes. “If they’re lying, don't come crying!” He took a breath to hold his tears and to make sure his voice wouldn't break. He couldn’t show weakness now. “Janus knows best!”

“Janus, ple--” The side waved his hand, instantly sending Virgil up to the light side, not wanting to hear what he had to say.

He lasted a few seconds, standing there in the empty common room, before he fell to his knees, breaking down crying.

_What had he done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn’t really fit with the story, but Remus found him the next morning, curled up on the ground and looking like garbage. So, he just wordlessly picked Janus up and brought the snake to his room where he took care of the other until he could speak.
> 
> This is my first piece of pure angst and let me just say… ow!
> 
> I know some people assume writers are all smiley and happy torturing characters, but I had to stop at one point because I couldn’t read the screen through my tears.
> 
> I've been having a rough time and letting it out through this is really nice. I only ever hope that at least one person will like my stories.
> 
> Anyways, I just want to thank you for reading! Please give me any and all sorts of feedback, positive or negative, I truly just want to improve my writing. Stay safe guys, gals, and non-binary pals!


	2. Nothing Left to Lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus tries to comfort Janus now that Virgil's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the wonderful Someone, asked for a sequel where I elaborate on the notes from my last chapter. I wasn't originally planning on it, but once I thought about it, I couldn't stop.
> 
> This takes place the morning after, obviously and is based on the song "Nothing Left to Lose" for Tangled the series (I was going for a theme if you couldn't tell). I'll link to the song in the end notes because I highly recommend listening to it at least once just for fun.
> 
> I don't really want to spoil anything else about this since I'm actually more proud of this than the last one. So, onto the story!
> 
> ~Spoilers~  
> CW/TW: Deceit/Janus warning, Remus warning (even though he's pretty out of character in this tbh), crying, mention of death (no actual death), drink mention (non-alcoholic), depression (used as an adjective), abandonment, stuttering, vilifying people, sarcasm, kinda Unsympathetic Light Sides (only mentioned, not really seen), a swear, regret/remorse, shoving, slamming door, entrapment/imprisonment, pounding, begging, and weapon mention (not used)

When Remus got up that morning, he wasn’t expecting to open his door and find a dead snake.

Well, a deathly looking snake-faced side.

He walked over to the depressed lump and poked it, unsure of what to do. He received a quiet, low groan in response. 

Clearly, he wasn’t going to get anything useful out of Janus for the time being and decided to take the mound of tears and cloth into his room.

He laid the deceitful side on his bed, wrapping the other in blankets, and got two drinks. Remus got himself a cup of hot water with coffee grounds poured directly into it while the other side got some tea.

He came back into the room to find Janus in the same position, cocooned in a pair of blankets, facing the wall.

He sighed as he sat down on the end of the bed and started to gently rub the snake’s leg, after setting down the mugs. “You wanna talk about it?”

The other just shrugged and curled in on himself, more.

Remus scooted a bit closed and asked, “Do you wanna sit up and have some tea?”

Janus sluggishly sat up, knocked off his hat, pulled out his hands, and leaned on the creative side.

The green side grabbed the pair of mugs and distributed them, respectively. The other hummed in appreciation at the warmth.

The duo sat in silence for a while, just sipping their drinks.

“Virgil left,” Janus weakly told his tea.

Remus just stared ahead.

He knew it was going to happen. He just didn’t think it would be so soon. It stung, but he also felt too numb to process it.

“I just… I just tried to stop him, but I… I just… I made it _so_ , so much worse.”

Remus began rubbing soft circles into the snake’s back as he saw tears forming in the other’s eyes.

“I said… I said awful things,” Janus was almost sobbing, again, “And I… I really didn’t mean them. I don’t… What’ll we do?” He set his mostly empty mug down and ran his hands over his face, into his hair. The creative side gently pulled him into a hug, muttering words of comfort into his hair. 

The words just kept tumbling out of his mouth. “He-he looked so, so scared of me. And-and I mocked h-him. I h-hit his w-weak spots, and p-p-pretty much told him he’s e-evil.” 

He sighed a bit and tried to calm down. “I’m th-the evil one,” he whispered.

Remus pushed him away slightly to look him in the eye. “Janus, you might not have made the best move, but I know you’re not evil.”

The deceitful side stared back with fire in his eyes. “You didn’t hear what I said, and…” he looked down at his lap, “and you didn’t see his face. I’m a monster.”

The intrusive side gently took the other’s face and made him look up. “I know you, Janus. You are not a monster.”

Janus pushed himself out of Remus’s hold and onto his feet. “It doesn’t matter what you think. _They_ all look at me like a monster.” He pointed upward. “Especially now.” He turned from his friend mumbling, “And they’re right.”

Dark Creativity stood up, placing his hand on the snake’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s not true.”

Janus whipped around, staring the other down and practically yelling. “Really? So all of their glares are out of love? Morality constantly fights my help out of companionship? Logic deflects my points out of partnership? Roman threatens me out of comradery? Virgil left because I was a good friend?”

Remus held his ground, still trying to help. “None of their opinions matter--”

“They’re the only ones Thomas fucking listens to!” Deceit shouted, “Their opinions are the only ones that matter!”

The green side took a deep breath. “Janus, you're angry, I get it--”

“Angry doesn’t even begin--” Remus held his hand up, gently quieting the other.

“Believe me I know what it's like, but you are making a mistake.” Janus scoffed. “The path of hate is a dangerous track.” He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You take one step and it's hard to turn back. It pulls you along, and though it seems wrong it feels right.”

Remus carefully led the two back down on the bed, Janus temporarily cooperating. “Don't you see this path you're on leaves a permanent mark. It feels good at first, then it slowly turns dark. With each passing day, you're further astray from the light.”

“Oh sweetie, I think we’re about as far away from the _light_ as you can get,” the snakely side sneered.

The other gave him a look, quieting him once more.

“Suddenly, you lose your way and lose the thread. Lose your cool, then lose your head.” He looked his companion directly in the eye. “Every loss is harder to excuse.” 

The scaled side shifted uncomfortably in his spot, turning his head to stare at his hands.

“Then you'll see you'll lose your faith and lose your soul, ‘til you lose complete control, and realize there's nothing left to lose.”

He lightly grabbed his friend’s hand and squeezed it. “Nothing left to lose.”

“Jan,” the yellow side looked up at his name, “trust me, becoming the villain isn't the answer.”

Some switch flipped in the snake and hate filled his gaze. “Is that what you think I am?” he spat.

“What, no,” Remus back tracked, “you were making yourself--”

Janus cut him off, “The path I'm on is a path paved in black.” He stood up, facing away from the other side. “I'm taking that road, and I'm not looking back. Each twist and each turn leads straight where I'm yearning to go.”

He spun back toward the green side. “Yes, it's true, my path is dark but I see where it ends.” He stares off into space. “My rivals will fall as my power ascends.”

He snapped back to reality and at the other. “Despise me, that's fine--”

Remus stood up saying, “Janus I don’t--”

“I'm taking what's mine even so!” Deceit leered at the other. “Not like you.”

“What?” The creative side lost his footing and fell back onto the bed.

“You lost your nerve, you lost the game,” Janus spat as both sides thought about how Remus had been unceremoniously kicked out of the light side.

The snakely side towered over the other. “But you and I, we're not the same. I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose.”

He left the other side and walked out of the room. “So I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains.” He came face to face with Virgil’s room, just as it vanished. “Lose each weakness that remains.” He balled his fists and closed his eyes. “Now that I have nothing left to lose.”

Remus stood in his doorway, giving his friend a once-over. Pitifully, he tries to say, “But what about--”

“ _Nothing_ left to lose,” Janus repeated, firmly.

The intrusive side tries again. He grabbed his fellow side’s hand, causing the other to whip around and face him. “You have so much to hold onto.”

The deceitful side stared him down. “I only want my rightful dues,” he sneered.

“Listen please,” Remus begged as his grip tightened on the other, “you've lost your grip, and lost your mind.” 

“I'm not gonna lose!” 

“All's not lost, don't be so blind!” 

Janus ripped his hand away, still not losing eye contact. “I refuse!”

The green side’s eyes begin to tear as he pleads, “Cut your losses, drop the IOUs!”

“I refuse!” The snake looks away, unable to watch his friend cry.

“Choose!”

“I lose no tears and lose no sleep!” Janus continued, faced away from the other, glaring at the empty space where Virgil’s door stood. “What I want I'll take and keep!” 

“It's time for you to choose!” Remus cried.

“You can't…”

“Stop the turning of the screws!” They say together.

Janus turned around and shoved the intrusive side into his room. The deceitful side slammed the door closed between them. “You'll stay in that cage until this is done.”

Remus began pounding on the door, calling out to the other.

“And just in case you think of escaping…” Janus snapped his fingers, chaining the door closed and taking the other’s morning star.

He walked away, listening to the other side slamming into the door and yelling for him. Deceit closes his own door to block out the sound before leaning against it and sliding to the floor.

He looked down at the weapon in his hands. 

“Now I have nothing left to lose.”

He sees tears fall onto it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I cried once or twice while writing this.
> 
> It was going to be mostly comfort with maybe a bit of angst, but then I found the song and it turned into mostly angst.
> 
> Also, did I let out a lot of my pent up anger through Janus... definitely not.
> 
> I still hope you like this, regardless and here's where to find the song: https://youtu.be/Kvj4maFyQcs
> 
> Anyways, I just want to thank you for reading! Please give me any and all sorts of feedback, positive or negative, I truly just want to improve my writing. Stay safe guys, gals, and non-binary pals!


End file.
